President Obama’s Historical Visit To Mother Africa

This week, President Obama took the trip of his young life when he visited the African nations of Kenya and Ethiopia. One of the most significant statements made by President Obama was his acknowledgement of being both Kenya-American and African-American. President Obama is also the first/only sitting U.S. President to address the African Union (AU).

The President went deep into history; pointing out the FACT that Africa is the “cradle of humanity, and that ancient African kingdoms were home to great libraries and universities”. President Obama also said that he “had the privilege to view Lucy” our ancestor, which is more than 3 million years old”. Lucy was the bridge to modern humans that was found in the Hadar area of central Ethiopia. The discovery of is proof that Africa is the birth place of all humans.

I am aware the President Obama has visited Africa before; however, once again, seeing the horrific lack of development in many part of Africa compared with that of former colonial powers had to have been heart breaking for this President. The nations of Europe and some in the Middle East robbed Africa of unimaginable amounts of human labor, human intelligence, and natural resources; however, they returned practically nothing back to Africa.

President Obama also stated that “Today, Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world.” As the New Africa engage the global business communities, African Leaders must examine all proposed transactions to ensure that they encompass legitimate opportunities and avoid all high-tech levels of grand exploitation.

Documentation have shown that between the 1870s and 1900, Africa faced “European imperialist aggression, diplomatic pressures, military invasions, and eventual conquest and colonization”. Further documentation reveals that “The scramble for control of Africa during this time was so intense that there were fears that it could lead to inter-imperialist conflicts and even wars” between imperialist Europe. The scramble for Africa led to the creation of the Berlin Act which “guided the conduct of the European inter-imperialist competition in Africa”.

This Berlin Act/treaty was developed “without African participation, however, it provided the basis for the subsequent partition, invasion, and colonization of Africa by various European powers”. My question to today’s European powers whose barbaric ancestries took advantage of Africans’ higher levels of humanity; where is your apology to Africa and where is Africa’s Reparation? It’s Time to Pay Up.

Although this is most lackly President Obama’s last trip to Africa as President; undoubtedly, his visit left most Africans with tremendous pride and the ability to dream as big as Africa’s remarkable sky, reach high like Africa’s majestic mountains and grow the economies of Africa’s diverse states as fast as its’ flowing rivers. The knowledge and experiences which he has obtained as President of the most powerful nation on the planet has put him in a position to provide incredible global insight to African leaders.

President Obama will be able to use his God given talents and experiences to help Africa realize the vision he spoke of in his speech at Mandela Hall at the African Union Headquarters located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. When he leaves office, he will finally have the SPACE to help African leaders rapidly expand the politicaland technological skills required to close the social, economic and infrastructural gaps as African Renaissance continue to evolve.

Speaking to leaders at the AU, President Obama said that “Here, you can come together, with a shared commitmentto human dignityand development. Here, your 54 nations can pursue a common vision of an “integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa.” This is not dream; it is a reality that’s time has come!

In closing, It is my hopethat President Obama help illuminate Africa with clean, renewable solar energy. Even though Africa has massive solar energy potential, “it has the world’s lowest electricity access rates, with more than half of its countries experiencing daily costly power outages”.

Fact: The African continent has more sunlight than any place in the world. The low cloud cover over its sky enables solar power to be generated in all of Africa’s regions with little or no need for expensive large scale grid level infrastructural developments.

African leaders must develop an African solution; consequently, as Africa invest and grow its’ solar industry, unlock its solar potential, it will turn its’ bright sun into bright futures for the entire continent. When All of Africaexpand its domestic Industrial and Agriculture knowledge, it will create the domestic capacity to satisfy its’ wants and desires and feed and clothe the world.